94 NOVUM ORGANUM 



any dexterity of wit or art. If then, even in our natural 

 history, well examined and compiled with such diligence, 

 strictness, and (1 might say) reverential scruples, there be 

 now and then something false and erroneous in the details, 

 what must we say of the common natural history, which is 

 so negligent and careless when compared with ours ? or of 

 systems of philosophy and the sciences, based on such loose 

 soil (or rather quicksand) ? Let none then be alarmed by 

 such observations. 



CXIX. Again, our history and experiments will contain 

 much that is light and common, mean and illiberal, too 

 refined and merely speculative, and, as it were, of no use, 

 and this perhaps may divert and alienate the attention of 

 mankind. 



With regard to what is common; let men reflect, that 

 they have hitherto been used to do nothing but refer and 

 adapt the causes of things of rare occurrence to those of 

 things which more frequently happen, without any investi 

 gation of the causes of the latter, taking them for granted 

 and admitted. 



Hence, they do not inquire into the causes of gravity, 

 the rotation of the heavenly bodies, heat, cold, light, hard 

 ness, softness, rarity, density, liquidity, solidity, animation, 

 inanimation, similitude, difference, organic formation, but 

 taking them to be self-evident, manifest, and admitted, they 

 dispute and decide upon other matters of less frequent and 

 familiar occurrence. 



But we (who know that no judgment can be formed of 

 that which is rare or remarkable, and much less anything 

 new brought to light, without a previous regular examina 

 tion and discovery of the causes of that which is common, 

 and the causes again of those causes) are necessarily com- 



